ABOUT THE MEET
After setting a new season-best team score for the second week in a row vs. Michigan, the Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team sets their sights on the regular-season finale this Saturday, March 19, taking a trip to Colorado Springs to take on #11 Air Force and #8 Navy, with Rocky Mountain Pride also at the meet. The meet is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on the Air Force Falcons Youtube page.
LAST TIME OUT
The fifth-ranked Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team eclipsed their season-high team score for a second-straight week, scoring a 408.400, but ultimatley fell to the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines, who scored a 411.850, on senior day in Huff Hall.
Illinois eclipsed their season-highs in team total (408.400), floor (69.000), pommel horse (69.450) and still rings (68.150) leading to three-point lead heading into the final three events. After a strong vault rotation that scored 71.650, Illinois struggled on parallel bars, scoring a 61.750 as opposed to Michigan's 68.550, and ultimatley could not climb out of the hole despite a season-high 68.400 on high bar.
Senior Hamish Carter earned the floor exercise title with a career-high 14.350, while senior Ian Skirkey claimed the pommel horse title with a 14.300. Carter broke his own school-record for highest performance in the all-around, scoring an 83.900 in the all-around in his final meet in Huff Hall.
IN THE RANKINGS
Illinois currently ranks fifth in the nation with a four-score average of 399.442. UI ranks third nationally on pommel horse, vault, high bar. Individually, Connor McCool ranks 16th on floor, Ian Skirkey ranks fourth on pommel horse, Evan Manivong ranks fourth on vault, and Hamish Carter ranks third on high bar.
2022 OUTLOOK
Illinois returns 17 letter winners from the 2021 squad that placed sixth in the nation and fourth in the B1G. 2021 NCAA Pommel Horse national champion Ian Skirkey returns looking to defend his title, while fellow All-American Connor McCool looks to improve upon a sixth-place finish on the floor at the 2021 NCAA Championships. The defending B1G vault champion Michael Fletcher also returns and looks to lead the team in the all-around along with seniors Hamish Carter and Clay Mason-Stephens.
NEW DUAL MEET FORMAT IN NCAA MEN'S GYMNASTICS
In August, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved new changes to the dual meet format and team scoring for men's gymnastics. Dual meets will now follow a head-to-head format, and the five-up, five-count format will now be followed throughout the entirety of the season.
The head-to-head format includes gymnasts from both teams alternating routines on the same apparatus. This allows the competition to be easier to follow for spectators and will provide consistency for judging. A six-minute "halftime" has also been added to dual meet formats following the first three events, and will not be used during multiteam events.
Scoring will also change as all meets will follow the five-up, five-count format, meaning only five gymnasts compete per apparatus with each of their scores counting towards the team total. Previously, a six-up, five-count format was used prior to the annual Winter Cup competition, with the five-up, five-count format in use after the Winter Cup.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS AND CHAMPIONS
Spring welcomes back two gymnasts that were named All-Americans in 2021, as well as two event champions. Ian Skirkey (NCAA Pommel Horse national champion, Pommel Horse All-American, Second Team All-B1G), Connor McCool (Floor Exercise All-American, Second Team All-B1G), and Michael Fletcher (B1G Vault champion, First Team All-B1G) all look to build off of their successful 2021 campaigns in the upcoming season.
NEWCOMERS
Four newcomers join the Fighting Illini roster in 2022, including three freshmen and a graduate transfer. Graduate Student David Pochinka joins the team after transferring from Minnesota, and will contribute to Illinois' pommel horse, rings, parallel bar and high bar rotations. Freshmen Yan Inhaber-Courchesne (FX, SR, PB, VT), Maksim Farkhadau (PH), and Ashton Anaya (SR) will also be key additions to the Illini rotation this season.
MCCOOL, SKIRKEY NAMED B1G GYMNASTS TO WATCH
Ahead of the 2022 men's gymnastics season, junior Connor McCool and senior Ian Skirkey were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch, and the Illini were picked to finish fourth in the B1G by the conference coaches. Skirkey enters the 2022 season as the reigning NCAA National Champion on the pommel horse after a stellar 2021 season that included an all-American honor and second team all-B1G honors following his runner-up performance at the 2021 B1G Championships. McCool enters the 2022 season following an all-American season on the Floor Exercise and a runner-up performance on the floor at the 2021 B1G Championships, earning him second team all-B1G honors.
RETURNING FROM INJURY
After season-ending injuries last season, the Illini welcome back two contributors to the 2021 roster: senior Clay Mason-Stephens and sophomore Will Hauke. Spring says the team will be much stronger in the 2022 campaign with the two returning from injury.
LOOKING AHEAD
Illinois will head back home to Huff Hall on Mar. 13 for Senior Day vs. Michigan. The meet will be broadcasted live on the Big Ten Network, set for a 2:30 p.m. start time.
FOLLOW THE ILLINI
Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Men's Gymnastics. Follow the Orange and Blue onTwitter,Facebook andInstagramfor even more coverage.
